Lara Croft is back, but she is not the witty sexpot Croft of old. This dame is downright guttural. Square Enix's rebooted “Tomb Raider” has been stripped down, so to speak, and is redesigned as a darker less-than-super heroine who is younger, vulnerable and inexperienced.

In this new Tomb Raider continuity, we follow Croft as she transforms from a frightened lass beset by adventures she did not expect, to the hardened, veteran relic hunter with panache and that deadly way about her.

Gone is the focus on action adventure treasure hunts in exotic settings. This new re-imagined continuity for the game franchise has Croft picking her way across a dank island in the Dragon's Triangle off the coast of Japan on a mission to rescue her fellow shipmates after shipwrecking.

The open-world game style focuses heavily on survival and exploration, and while the combat mechanics look far better than in past games, the time spent climbing or swinging around cliff sides may prove more entertaining. Of particular note is the moment in the game when Croft struggles with having to take a human life for the first time.

I'm not sure at what point one needed a college degree to play modern-day sports games, but looking at Sony Computer Entertainment's “MLB 13 The Show” makes me want to register. Take 2's “MLB 2K13” looks decent, but The Show has always topped it, and nothing suggests it will be any different with these two new titles.

“MLB 13 The Show” is stunningly beautiful and is presented with lifelike game play unmatched by any other sporting game. Returning to “MLB 2K13” is the “Perfect Game Challenge,” which awards actual cash to gamers throwing perfect games while playing.

In the past, these two baseball sims have suffered from the same ailment that nearly all modern sports video games do — confusion. Playing a sports video game these days usually leaves one sitting on the couch, confounded, mouth agape, looking like a chimpanzee trying to figure out “sequester.” Especially when getting into the various game modes.

This year's “MLB 13 The Show” tries to fix this with a new beginner mode that teaches hitting and pitching. Hopefully, this will alleviate some of the frustration.

Still, it often feels like you have to be a fantasy sports expert or actual baseball GM to play. While hardcore fans of the genre love it this way, sporting noobs such as me will feel like the last kid picked.

So, if you love baseball and sports gaming, swing away. If not, be prepared to put in a lot of time learning the mechanics of various modes before getting into the entertaining center of these Tootsie Roll Pops.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Namco PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 Action fighter $59.96 Everyone Fans will welcome the return of boss battles in the latest rendition of the series that features more than 80 playable characters and an anime-driven story mode.

Naruto Powerful Shippuden Namco Nintendo 3DS Action fighter $39.99 Everyone 10+ This version has been exclusively developed for the Nintendo 3DS and has two story modes as well an endless battle mode.

Total War: Shogun 2 Gold Sega PC $39.99 blend of turn-based strategy and real-time tactics The Gold edition includes the main game plus its expansions "Rise of The Samurai" and "Fall of The Samurai." Sega promises hundreds of hours of strategy gaming.

Gear

Xbox 360 Tomb Raider Limited Edition Wireless Controller Microsoft Software $59.99 The controller’s design is inspired by Lara Croft’s climbing ax. It comes with a game code for an extra downloadable character exclusive to Xbox 360.